By Yiming Fu, Report for America Corps Member
(Yiming Fu is based in Maui covering the fire recovery for AsAmNews)
“Lāhainā Ondo,” a new song, dance and music video commemorating the Lāhainā community will be released August 8, the one-year anniversary of the Lāhainā fires.
“We had been working on the song for several years when the fire happened,” songwriter Lance D. Collins said. “We decided to really redouble our efforts to complete it so that we could support the Lāhainā community’s efforts of both rebuilding and remembering through bon dance.”
Written by Collins and Shinshu Kyokai Mission bomori Sumiko Tatsuguchi, “Lāhainā Odon” evokes summertime memories of everyday life in Lahaina, including surfing, mango picking, fishing, hiking, stream activities and bon dance. Paolo Cotrone and Joel Katz composed and performed the music, and Marion Kanemori of the Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai choreographed the dance.
The bon dance is part of a Japanese Buddhist tradition to celebrate loved ones that have passed away. While the festival traditionally happens once a year, Japanese plantation workers in Hawaii created a bon dance season that stretches from June to September, with the dance traveling from town to town so everyone can participate.
The Maui Minyo Kai will lead the first public performance of the song at the Lāhainā commemorative bon dance on August 10.
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